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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rule — government
  3. land — a country
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. swing — to play on
  7. land — ground
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. capital — money
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. capital — a city
  16. land — to come down
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. swing — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rule — a law
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com